The next best step

You know why putting something you love so much out into public is so difficult? Because what if they’re right, those people who tell you that you have no talent?

Then, that thing that you suspected all along— that you’re a hack and that this writing career isn’t for you?— it will be true and this one thing you’ve always wanted to do won’t be an option anymore. Your dream will be stolen from you.

Sound familiar?

If this resonates, I’ll tell you why. It’s because you’re not a freelancer, a copywriter, a content marketing writer, or a website owner. You’re an artist. And what you’re doing right now is shadow art— you’re being a writer in some capacity but not in the capacity you want.

It’s not enough. It never will be.

So you could, like me, spend six years beating your head against the wall “trying to write a novel.” You can accept the truth six difficult years from now. Or you can accept the truth now.

And the truth is this:

* The work you most care about will take the most out of you to get out there. It doesn’t matter what it is— essay, article, novel. You might have written 200+ articles. The one that you care about the most will be the hardest to send, to publish, to receive feedback on.

* You probably DO suck. Most of us do when we first start doing the work that we love because we’ve never done it before. Also? We’re afraid of going all in. So we do it bit by bit, get comfortable, do some more. And eventually, with enough practice, it starts working. You suck less. That’s just practice. Very practical stuff. The more you do, the easier it gets. Cliché stuff. But it’s true.

* People will often, very loudly, tell you that you’re shit. They will do so publicly. In front of your family, your friends! Is the opinion of Mike on the Internet who doesn’t know you and never will, enough to stop you from living your dream? Silly question, right? Yet… isn’t that what you’re doing?

* Yes, you’re scared. We’re all scared. Can I tell you a secret? You will feel even more fear when something starts succeeding and bringing you the attention you want. You will be terrified. You will try to sabotage the whole thing. The fear never goes away, but the good news is that you get better at handling it. You get better at saying, okay yes, I feel butterflies right now but I’m going to get this done anyway. I will step away from the computer and not delete the damn thing. I will not allow my emotion to stand in the way of my taking action. And you will get better at taking action.

So, what can you do to stop playing in the shadows and be the true artist you know you’re meant to be?

You can start writing the things that are important to you. You can start making an effort to get them out there.

You can remember that the question isn’t, “How will I do X?” The question is, and always will be, “What is the next best step?”

What is your next best step?

P.S. A community full of writers who’re working towards EXACTLY the same goal as you is a pretty good way to not only get to your next step, but also stay accountable towards it.

The Finishers is exactly that community.

Here’s what some members have to say:

“The community and accountability are great… I watch the videos daily and am gleaning some great tips and/or motivation from them. It’s getting me to stay on track and be more diligent in sending out pitches and LOIs.” – Christina Chan

“The weekly Q&A and having my first pitched critiqued with Mridu was worth the price tag alone. Mridu’s smart, no-nonsense approach to the art and business of writing – and her personal admonishing – has helped me to not only become a better writer in the short time I’ve been here, but has also given me the confidence to pitch a story to national publications and helped me actually believe in myself enough to realize that I can do this.” – Bernie Anderson

“The Finishers is a fantastic place for writers to share weekly goals and keep each other accountable… Several e-courses, daily newsletters, audio and video trainings, weekly trainings and Q&A sessions make it all the more interesting and interactive. Mridu is basically asking, encouraging and pushing us towards our goals, one step at a time. Thank you for this wonderful community, Mridu!” – Arundhati Nath

I’ve put together a video tour that takes you inside The Finishers and shows you exactly what’s inside. Want to take a look?